Summits in the crafting industry have been on the rise, and it's becoming harder to host an event that stands out. This week I'm excited to have two special guests on the podcast to talk about how they were able to make their event grab attention and create an incredibly unique experience through their event positioning that also worked to overcome a pain point their audience tends to have.
Amy Romeu and Jen Swift co-hosted the Cricut Craft Adventure Summit, and in this episode, we're going to get into the details of what they did that made their event a success. They’re also going to take us behind the scenes and share the dynamics that lead to an incredibly positive co-hosting experience.
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Episode at a glance:
[2:02] Amy and Jen met four years ago when they collaborated on a Cricut crafting project and became friends. After they’d both been speakers at summits in the crafting industry, they started talking about what it would look like to work on a summit together.
I think when we first started talking about hosting a summit, a lot of it was just really wanting to create a community and really kind of bring people together and try something new.
[3:25] The Cricut Crafting Adventure Summit came to be because they wanted attendees to know that it was an adventure right from the very start. Also, because there’s a technology piece involved in using a Cricut, some crafters get frustrated, so they wanted to create a safe space where attendees could ask questions, make friends, connect with others, and develop a sense of community.
We did a lot of careful branding. We really pushed the concept in our marketing that we wanted people to embrace the spirit of adventure in their crafting and try new things.
[6:47] Because they were able to carry the theme of adventure throughout the branding of their entire event, from graphics to marketing, from speakers to travel-themed projects, it helped enhance the spirit of the event and set them apart from similar summits.
[7:49] Jen and Amy had been speakers at similar summits within their industry, which gave them an idea of what other very big crafters in the industry were doing with their summits. They decided to set their goals pretty conservatively based on their existing audiences and experience with other summits, and blew their goals out of the water!
We were hoping to get 20-25,000 attendees but ended up with 45,000. We sold about 46000 VIP passes and grossed $192,000 in total revenue!
[10:10] After working with Krista and Elli in the Launch with a Summit Accelerator, they suggested a few changes to their registration page and all-access sales page, which were pretty simple changes, but that were able to increase conversion rates and contribute to the total numbers they saw in the end.
[10:16] One big change that helped increase conversion rates was really more of a mindset shift. They had an easy opt-out option in their funnel that drew attention to the option to opt out right away, but Krista and Elli challenged them on why they felt the need to put so much emphasis on that.
Even simple things like moving sections based on how the readers were moving around on the page led to an immediate rise in conversion rates.
[12:52] Although Amy and Jen had worked together on other projects, it hadn’t been to this scale, so hosting a summit together was a new experience. They were excited, but also had some concerns, especially around doing a summit with a friend, and how it had the potential to ruin that friendship if it didn't go well. In the end, their friendship was an asset that helped their event run smoothly.
We have a real respect and admiration for each other, and I think our communication was key. I always felt like I was working with someone who appreciated me and respected my opinion and input.
[15:18] They made a decision early on to have “team captains” that also served them well. There were areas of the summit Jen was in charge of and other areas of the summit that Amy was in charge of. Each of them had their own lane to focus on, which let them work autonomously and independently, making them more productive and efficient.
Because each of us was in our own area of expertise, neither of us felt like it was too much, but rather it felt like we were constantly passing the ball back and forth in play.
[18:09] Amy and Jen had two great pieces of advice for anyone thinking about hosting a summit for the first time: Give yourself more time than you think you'll need, and make sure you keep a work-life balance while you're planning your summit. Hosting a summit is a big project, but when you give yourself plenty of time, and make sure you're not letting it get too in the way of your other priorities, it's so worth it. They also recommend co-hosting if that's an option for you!
I know a lot of people don't cohost, but I do think that if you can find the right person, what can come out of an event that's cohosted is probably bigger and better than what can come out from just one person. One person doesn’t have somebody there, not just encouraging them, but also bouncing things back and forth with.
[21:42] Another bonus to cohosting a summit together, is that now they now have double the audiences to develop and nurture. One of the reasons that co-hosting worked so well for Amy and Jen is that their main offers complement each other and don’t compete with each other.
We really believe in the spirit of collaboration, and feel more like colleagues than competition. That’s an important value to both of us.
About Amy
Amy is a lifelong crafter and jewelry maker who loves to create and share her original designs, projects, and tutorials with the worldwide crafting community. Amy has dabbled in many creative pursuits over the years, but her current favorites are Cricut crafting, laser cutting, and sublimation. Her passion for teaching and sharing is evident on her blog, amyromeu.com, and her YouTube channel. Amy recently co-hosted the Cricut Crafting Adventure Summit in March 2023 with Jennifer Swift, which was attended virtually by 45,000 crafters and earned $192k in revenue.
Amy's Blog | Amy's YouTube
About Jen
Jen Swift is an online content creator and expert in designing with the digital drawing app, Procreate as well as crafting with a Cricut. With years of experience and a passion for creativity, Jen has helped countless students adventure into using Procreate and their Cricut to create unique, custom craft projects. When she decided to host the Cricut Crafting Adventure in March 2023 with her crafty bestie, Amy Romeu, they set out to create an experience where crafters could try new things and embrace their inner creativity with that same adventurous spirit! You can find Jen’s tutorials on her blog, wellcraftedstudio.com, and on her YouTube channel. Connect with Jen anytime through her Well Crafted Studio FB page and start your creative journey today!
Jen's Website | Well Crafted Studio Facebook Group
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